Improvement in rubber boots



G. WATKINSON. Rubber Boots.

No. 220,778. Patented Oct. 21,1879.

N. PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WATKINS ON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE L. CANDEE & 00.,

OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RUBBER BOOTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,778, dated October 21, 1879; application filed June 23, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WATKINSON, ofNew Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Rubber Boots; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, which said drawing constitutes part of this specification, and represents a perspective View.

This invention relates to an improvement in india-rubber boots. In boots of this class, as usually made, the foot part settles down around or in front of the ankle, and the leg in like manner settles down above the ankle, causing the boot to crack at these points, as well as to become uncomfortable to the wearer. Again, if this class of boots are said to the purchaser to be warranted, such a guarantee is so indefinite as to be of no use, save to deceive the purchaser.

The object of the first part of this invention is to strengthen the boot, so as to prevent the settling or wrinkling referred to.

The object of the second part of this invention is to provide the boot with means for indicating the time for which they are guaranteed.

The invention consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims. The general outline of the boot does not differ from that of the common construction.

A is an overlap, starting from the ankle or heel seam to, extending from the sole over the instep and to a point near the toe, as at b, or as far toward the toe as the wrinkles from the hollow of the foot are liable to extend. This overlap A is placed on outside of and over the usual front or foot portion. If placed inside, as strengthening pieces for different parts of the boots usually are, the outside or uppers are drawn down over the edges of such parts, and this drawing down of the upper upon the last tends to stretch and thin the rubber at those points, and cause a crack to almost necessarily follow wearing of the boot. Particularly would this be the case were the overlap A placed upon the lining before the upper hence it is that this new part is placed upon the outside. The part A adds strength to and supports the upper over the sides-and instep, and practically prevents settling or wrinkling.

Around the leg, from the ankle up to a point, 01, Where the wrinkling occasioned by bending the foot in walking occurs, and which produces the settling at this point, an overlap, B, is placed outside the leg proper, and placed outside for the same reasons assigned for placing the overlap A outside the upper. This overlap supports the leg and prevents the set= tling or wrinkling around the ankle, and, con sequently, prevents cracking at that part of the boot. The edges of these overlaps show distinctly upon the outside, and indicate that the strengthening of the boot is a fact and not deception.

That a practical guarantee may be given for the boot, I construct the boot with a series of characters indicating months, and other charaoters indicating days of the months. These are, preferably, arranged around the top of the legs in the form of a border, as shown; but they may be otherwise arranged. Years may also be indicated, as shown. When the dealer sells a pair of boots and guarantees them for a certain time of wear, he erases or marks the characters in the different series which will indicate the date of purchase, and this guarantee reaches back to the manufacturer, who, upon the presentation of boots which may not have endured the wear for which they were guaranteed, has evidence on the boot to satisfy him that claim within the guarantee is properly made.

I claim 1. A rubber boot constructed with the over= lap A on the outside of the upper, and cover in g the upper from near the heel forward to a point, 1), near the toe, and the overlap B around and outside the leg, extendin g from below to a point, (1, above the ankle, all substalr tially as described.

2. A rubber boot constructed with a series of characters indicating months and a series of characters indicating days of the months, substantially as described, for the object stated.

GEORGE WATKINSON.

Witnesses:

J 0s. 0. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

